Valentine's Day is coming up and while we most often associate the holiday with Romantic love, we know that there are actually many other kinds of love. In How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, Charles Yu explores the love in families, especially love between a father and son. Charles (of Mirror Universe 31), has been barely living since his father time-traveled out of his life. Charles feels that he has disappointed his father, and while they had always had trouble communicating, Charles badly wants to reconnect.
The problem is that Charles isn't going anywhere. He's a time-machine technician and he's given up on his own life. He has no motivation. It isn't until Charles' future self appears and a panicked present-Charles shoots himself in the stomach that his life finally starts to move forward--even if it's into a time loop. The journey Charles takes pulls him backwards in time where he can watch him and his father working on time-machines together. Charles travels many places and through both past and present, but it's a puzzle to figure out what happened to short-circuit his relationship with his dad (and his mom) and where his dad is hiding out now.
The story never takes itself too seriously, even though the breakdown of a family is serious business. Charles is accompanied on his journey by Ed, a dog that doesn't exist, TAMMY, a computer program with self-esteem issues and a book that he apparently wrote in the future, or is writing now...
For sci-fi lovers, this book is heartily recommended in time for Valentine's Day. Read and reconnect with your family!
This book can be downloaded from the El Paso Public Library's eBook Library. Have your library card and PIN ready.
Happy Valentine's!
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